Established in 1988 as a government-funded research institute, the KLI has been playing a leading role in shaping national policies in the fields of employment, labor and social policies.

Since its foundation, the KLI has witnessed tremendous changes in Korean society, including the currency crisis, the financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the past decade has seen rapid changes in the industrial ecosystem and employment trends as well as a steep rise in welfare needs. These changes in the environment present daunting challenges. The systems and practices that we have accumulated in the course of successful industrialization have revealed their limitations, colliding with emerging systems and practices. In addition, the accelerating population of the aging threatens the sustainability of the hard-established social security system.

Korea’s miraculous achievement in industrialization and democratization owes much to the strength of its human capital. The KLI has been serving as a public forum for stakeholders to engage in discussions and share insights on ways of resolving social conflicts. Building on this tradition, we will continue to support the development of human resources and promote productive discourse to address the challenges Korean society faces. We will provide information and knowledge to help provide a realistic depiction of the situation as it exists. We will seek to contribute to building a knowledge corridor where various research institutes located in Sejong and Daejeon gather to discuss and collaborate.

We look forward to your active participation as well as support in generating information and research outcomes that will enable us to diagnose the reality of the Korean economy and society and facilitate discourse as we move forward together into the future.

Thank you very much..